


The Fame Game

by Janie_17



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Famous Harry, M/M, Non-Famous Louis Tomlinson, Not Suitable/Safe For Work, Strangers to Lovers, idk anything about being famous so don't kill me if it's wrong, timeline is weird so ask me not about it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:22:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22233988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janie_17/pseuds/Janie_17
Summary: Harry Styles is an international pop star and world renowned womanizer. But he has a secret. Well, not much of one, but Management thinks it needs to be. He is gay. Scream it from the rooftops and light some rainbow fireworks gay. No matter how many times he mentions it, people just don’t seem to catch on. Color him frustrated.Louis Tomlinson, on the other hand, is an out and proud theatre teacher at the local secondary school, who moonlights as the assistant football coach. His secret? He hasn’t had a date in three years. But he does have a gaggle of teenage admirers, kids who look up to him as a role model. And it’s all well and good, but he’s getting pretty tired of being alone each night.A chance meeting has the potential to resolve both of their problems, but just might create a few new ones in the process.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 10
Kudos: 69





	1. Chapter One

The day was going pretty well for Harry. He had breakfast, wasn’t recognized on the way to his yoga class, and now he was ready to reward himself with a midmorning coffee. It was a little reckless to stay out this long alone, but God damn it, if the paparazzi were going to find him, they would have done it all ready. He had his head down in thought as he navigated his way to his favorite coffee shop. It was only about two blocks from the yoga studio and directly on the way back to his flat. He was about to open the door to the cafe when it burst open, nearly hitting him in the face. 

“Oi!” he shouted in surprise. The man who had thrown the door open squeaked in surprise. 

“Sorry, mate,” the man said in a thick Yorkshire accent. “Runnin’ a bit late for class and didn’t see you there.” 

Harry smiled, his dimple popping out. “No worries. I wasn’t really paying much attention either.” Holy cow, he thought to himself. This man was gorgeous. His compact frame was lean but muscular, and his hair swooped perfectly into his eyes. Harry was struck by the desire to run his fingers through it. He couldn’t help but grin as the man smiled up at him. 

The other man scrunched up his nose. “You look so familiar, but I can’t place it. Have we met before?” 

Harry chuckled. “Doubt it. I’d remember meeting someone so handsome.” He chewed his lip as the other man went pink in the cheeks. 

“I--um,” he was choking on his words, clearly flustered by the compliment. He inhaled sharply. “Not to be forward, but would you like to maybe go out sometime? I’ve really got to get going but if you were interested we could exchange numbers?” 

Harry grinned. “I’d like that.” Pulling out his phone he passed it over to the other man. “I’m Harry, by the way.” 

The other man took the phone and typed in his number. “Louis, pleasure to meet you.” He handed back the phone with a smile. “Well, I’ll see you around.” And with that he was gone and Harry headed into the coffee shop, shooting a quick text so Louis would have his number too. This was definitely a good morning.

  
  
  
  


It had been nagging at Louis all day, trying to figure out why Harry looked so familiar. It was the last class of the day when it finally hit him. He asked the students to put their things away and form a horseshoe with the desks when he spotted it. Harry’s face plastered to Maci’s binder. “Who’s that on your folder,” he asked, voice cracking. Her face lit up. 

“His name is Harry Styles and he’s my favorite musician ever! His first album came out last year, but I’ve been following him since he won The X Factor a couple years ago!” Maci was grinning with excitement. Louis felt slightly sick. “I can’t believe you don’t know who he is!” 

“Me either.” 

The rest of the class went by in a blur of bad improv. “Okay, guys. That’s about it for today. Thanks for all your hard work. Class dismissed.” There was a chorus of “Bye, Mr. Tomlinson” and “Bye, Coach” as the students filtered out of the class. It was an interesting mix of theatre kids and jocks who needed an elective credit. And usually he would be much more interested in them than he felt right now. The phone in his pocket buzzed. He had a new message from Harry. Harry Styles. X Factor winner Harry Styles. Who he nearly killed with a door this morning. Who seemed super normal for a pop star as far as he could tell by texting with him. He decided to open the message before his mind could go any farther. 

**Harry:** are you free tonight? 

That was a great question. On one hand, he could stay home and grade last week’s essays about what makes a great play. On the other hand, he could go out with a complete stranger who happened to be on the front of his student’s binder. He sent Niall a quick SOS text. This called for backup. 

Niall Horan, the school’s music teacher, sauntered into the room. “What’s the emergency?” he asked lazily. 

“Harry Styles asked me out on a date,” Louis blurted out. 

Niall squinted at him. “Come again?” 

“Harry Styles, who I had to fucking Google while I waited for you to get here, asked me out on a date.” Louis took a deep breath to steady himself. “And I’m trying not to make it weird, but it’s a little weird.” 

“How do you even know him? He’s that guy all the kids are obsessed with right now, right?”

Louis sighed. “We met this morning on my way to work and we exchanged numbers. I mean, I didn’t know who he was at the time. I don’t exactly keep up with what the kids are into unless it’s on the West End.” 

Niall chuckled. “Wow.” 

“Yeah.” 

“You have to go.” 

“What?” Louis squawked. 

“Yeah,” the other man confirmed. “This guy is probably getting hit on for being a musician all the time. It has to be super refreshing to meet someone who doesn’t know who he is. So that’s why you have to go. Just calm down a little first.” 

“Why don’t you fucking calm down, Niall?” Louis’ hands were shaking as he typed back a response. He missed the eyeroll the Irishman gave in response. 

**Louis:** definitely! 

It took barely a minute for Harry to respond. 

**Harry:** Great! Why don’t we get dinner? About 7? I know a great Italian place

**Louis:** sounds great. Text me the address? 

“Wait!” Louis said aloud, turning back to his friend. “How am I gonna tell him I know who he is?” 

“Casually, I hope.” 

  
  
  


Louis had enough time when he got home to shower, get changed, and do his hair. And once he finished, there was still time left over to worry. He had googled the address and it was a really posh place with great reviews. Not the kind of restaurant he’d usually go to on his teacher's salary. But it was too late to back out now. 

Stepping out of the cab, he felt slightly underdressed in his skinny jeans and blazer as he glanced around at the people nearby. But, he thought to himself, if Harry wanted to date a normal bloke, rather than some other super star, maybe he wouldn’t care. Walking into the restaurant, he was surprised by how busy it was on a Tuesday night. He was early and had half a mind to ask to sit at the bar to wait as he approached the hostess stand. The tall blonde woman smiled at him, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Having worked food and bev throughout university, he wasn’t surprised nor was he offended. What did surprise him was that she appeared to know who he was and began to lead him to the back of the restaurant, where Harry was already waiting. 

Louis gasped when he saw him, his hair, which had been in a bun earlier in the day, was now loose and curly falling around his ears. What’s more, his shirt, no it was a blouse, was soft pink and floral, partially unbuttoned to show his chestpiece. Louis was certain the blouse had to cost more than he made a year, but all he could think about was ripping it off the other man. “You look amazing,” he choked out. He thought he was going to pass out when the dimple he’d noticed earlier made an appearance. 

Harry, who had stood upon Louis’ arrival, thanked him, adding, “You look great, too.” 

Louis shrugged, “Feel a little underdressed to be honest.” 

Harry laughed as they settled into their seats. “Sorry about that. I should have mentioned. I just really like this place. It’s very...private.” 

“I suppose that must be very important to you.” 

“Why do you say that?” Louis was pretty sure Harry knew why and just wanted to make him say it out loud. 

“Well,” he started slowly. “I figured out why you look so familiar. One of my students is apparently your biggest fan. I’ve been seeing your face on her binder all semester.” He shrugged, trying to act more nonchalant than he felt. 

Harry nodded. “And what did you do after figuring that out?” 

“Oh god.” He swallowed hard. “Igoogledyou” he squeaked out. When Harry didn’t seem upset, he continued, forcing his voice into its normal register. “But I didn’t really read much. It was mostly tabloids and felt a little invasive. I’d much rather you tell me about yourself.” 

Harry smiled, seeming relieved. “I am really glad you said that. It is so hard to meet people that don’t already have these preconceived notions of you. And they are always false too.” 

“Tell me a little about it. I mean, what do people usually get wrong about you?” Louis was leaning forward, interested to hear what the other man had to say. 

“So, it’s like, no matter what I do, people think that I’m some kind of awful womanizer. And I’m really not. But my management wants to play it up because ‘any press is good press’ or some shit.” Harry groaned. “And that’s not to say I don’t love women, they are great and beautiful. Just not my type.” 

“That fucking sucks.” Harry was about to speak again when the waiter came. Louis had completely forgotten to look at the menu and scanned it quickly, ordering at random. It had been forever since he’d felt so absorbed in conversation with another person. Harry was magnetic and his voice felt intoxicating. 

  
  
  
  


They continued to chat for the length of the dinner, Louis asking about what kind of music Harry played and Harry dropping tantalizing details about other musicians he’d met. By time desert came, the conversation had begun to shift. 

“So tell me a bit about you? You’re a teacher right?” Louis grinned in response to the question. 

“Theatre teacher and a football coach. So I stay pretty busy. The kids are fantastic though. They are so engaged in class, even my footballers. I guess they enjoy the assignments I come up with. They are honestly the best part of the job, seeing them learn and grow.” He chuckled, “The grading I could do without.” 

Harry laughed a little louder than he meant to. “I’m sure you could!” God it felt nice to talk about normal things with normal people, he thought. Especially incredibly cute normal people. “Did you always want to teach?” he asked, nabbing the last bite of chocolate cake off the plate they were sharing. 

“Oi, I was gonna eat that!” Harry chuckled as it was clear the other man was teasing, and shrugged. “Well, I thought I wanted to be an actor but that doesn’t really pay the bills. So this was a good second option.” 

Louis cocked his head to the side in a way that Harry found utterly adorable. “What would you be doing if you weren’t making music?” 

“Honestly, I don’t know.” Harry sighed. “I worked at a bakery as a teen, but music was really what I was best at. It is kind of scary to think about.” 

Louis smiled softly, “Then we won’t think about it.” 

“Deal.” Right then the check came. Harry allowed Louis to make a bid for why he should be the one to pay, or that they at least split the check, but in the end slid his card into the folder anyways. As the other man started to protest, Harry cut him off, “Next time you can choose the place and I’ll let you pay. How about that?” 

“Next time?” Louis raised a questioning eyebrow. 

“Uhh, I mean, if you want there to be?” Harry stammered, suddenly feeling as if he was on uneven footing. 

Louis smirked. “Of course I want a next time. I’m just messing with you.” Reaching across the table he squeezed Harry’s hand. As he pulled away, Harry grabbed his wrist and intertwined their fingers. 

“I like you, Louis Tomlinson,” he said softly. He watched as the other man suppressed a shiver. 

“I like you too,” Louis whispered back. He laughed nervously. “It’s been a long time since I’ve liked anyone, to be honest. So, like, I’m not sure I know where to go from here.” 

“Same.” Releasing his hand, Harry leaned back into his chair, his back creaking slightly. “Maybe we can start with me driving you home?” He wasn’t sure he wanted the night to end so soon, but he wasn’t sure that things wouldn’t escalate too quickly if he invited the other man home. He wanted this to last, and hopefully so did Louis. 

“I’d appreciate that, thanks.” 

  
  
  
  


Heading out the back door to where Harry was parked, Louis’ head was spinning. Harry, who just so happened to be a crazy rich musician, was probably the most down to earth person he had ever met. This was probably the most ridiculous day of his life. As they hopped into the Range Rover, Harry looked over at him quizzically. 

“What are you thinking?” His smooth voice broke Louis’ train of thought. 

“Honestly, whether or not my sisters will believe this happened.” He giggled before adding, “They are kind of your target demographic.” 

Harry rolled his eyes. “You hide it well, but you’re really pretty star struck for someone who doesn’t follow pop culture.” Louis huffed playfully in response, typing his address into the GPS. “And I’ll have you know,” Harry added, “that I think of myself as playing for everyone. Even if my audience does happen to consist of a lot of teenage girls most nights.” 

“I’m sure you do.” Louis laughed. “I guess I’ll just have to give you a listen and see what I think.” 

He watched with glee as Harry blushed. “If you want to, I mean, no pressure.” Quietly he added, “I hope you like it.” 

“If your music is anything like your personality, I’m sure I will.” The pair grinned at each other. They rode in silence for a few minutes, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It rested gently between them comfortably and harmoniously, their soft breaths and the rumble of the engine, the only sounds. As they came to a stop, Louis sighed. “This is me.” 

“Yep.” Harry popped the ‘p’ sound. “I guess so.” As he began to speak again, so did Louis. The pair laughed. “Sorry, you go ahead.” 

“No, no. It was nothing.” 

“I insist,” Harry pressed. 

Louis chewed his bottom lip. “I just wanted to say that I had a really nice time.” 

“So did I.” 

“And, um.” They were both leaning forward and Louis was very aware that it was getting warm in the SUV. “I’d like to kiss you.” He swallowed hard. “If that’s okay.” 

“Please do.” Harry’s voice was low and rumbled out of his chest. They leaned closer, breath mingling for a moment. Louis rested his hand on the side of Harry’s face, tenderly, his eyes flickering shut as the distance between them closed. Their lips brushed softly for a brief moment, before meeting again more firmly. A note of pleasure rumbled from deep in Harry’s chest and Louis shivered in response. It felt as if his whole life had led to this moment. As if they were meant to be in this car at this moment, so close together. Before his brain could wander any further he pulled away, watching as the other man’s green, green eyes blinked into focus again. One date and he was so far gone. 

“Good night,” Louis whispered, reaching to open the car door. 

“Good night.” Harry licked his lips. “See you again soon?” he asked. 

Louis nodded, “Definitely,” and retreated to his building. 

Across the way, neither of them noticed as a man in a parked car snapped a few more photographs before pulling away, headlights off. 

  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

Louis was in the middle of a particularly interesting dream when his phone rang about a quarter after six in the morning. He reached over to his bedside table with a groan, intending to silence it, when he saw the name on the screen. 

“Harry?” he answered groggily. “Why are you calling so early?” 

“Sorry about that,” he answered. “But, you need to look out the window. Right now. Because I don’t think you’ll believe me if you don’t see it.” Louis groaned again, rolling himself out of bed and pulling on his joggers. Once he reached the window and looked out, he gasped. “Yeah,” Harry’s voice responded over the phone. There were a handful of men with cameras stationed at the entrance to the building, seeming to be waiting for something. 

“What’s going on? Who are they?” 

“That would be paparazzi. Waiting for you.” 

“Why me?” 

“Please don’t be angry with me. But someone apparently tipped them off last night about where I was and they took pictures of us. Together. In the car. Kissing.” Harry’s voice was a low whine, and Louis could tell that he felt truly sorry about the situation. 

“Oh,” was all he could manage to say in response, more than a little shocked. The silence on the line began to stretch as he tried to make sense of what he’d been told. 

“It gets worse,” Harry moaned. Louis just nodded, feeling a little silly when he remembered you can’t see a nod on the telephone. But it seemed that Harry got the hint and continued. “They posted the image as the front page of the Daily Mail. So it’s basically everywhere.” 

“Okay.” 

“Okay?” Harry squeaked back. “We barely know each other and I’ve already dragged you into this bullshit.” 

Louis took a deep breath. He really needed a cuppa before this conversation could continue, but it didn’t seem like Harry was interested in waiting for him to make tea. “I mean, we’ll figure it out, won’t we?” That seemed to calm the other man down. “You can tell me how to handle this.” 

“So, you’re not mad?” 

“Honestly, I don’t think so. It’s a little weird, for sure, but I’m not angry.” Louis rubbed a hand over his face harshly, heading away from the window and towards the kitchen. “It’s not like you planned this.” He heard Harry sigh in relief. 

“Cool.” He paused for a moment before adding, “And my manager wants to meet with you. Today.” 

“I’ve got classes!” Louis objected. “I can’t find a substitute on such short notice.” 

“It seems that he already, well. He already called the school to inform them of the situation.” 

“Now I’m a little angry. He can’t just go messing with my schedule like that.” Harry sounded so small when he apologised again that Louis couldn’t hold on to his anger. “It isn’t your fault, Curly. I’ll figure it out.” He sighed. “What time do I need to be there? And where am I meeting him anyways?” 

“A car will be there to pick you up in ten. I’m sorry.” 

“Please stop apologising.” Harry hummed noncommittally in response. “If he doesn’t mind I haven’t showered, that will be fine.” 

They exchanged goodbyes with Harry sneaking in an additional apology for good measure, and Louis went about getting dressed. He had just brushed his teeth when the buzzer to his flat rang. 

“Mr. Tomlinson, your car is ready,” said a voice through the grainy speaker. He threw on his shoes and rushed down the steps, ready as he’d ever be for what awaited him. 

  
  
  


Louis slumped in the back seat of the car. It had been a long morning and it was only ten. He jumped when he noticed he wasn’t alone. 

“Bloody hell, Harry! Make a little noise next time.” He glared as the other man started to apologise. 

“Sor--right.” Harry sighed. “If this whole thing hasn’t scared you off, I was wondering if you’d like to come back to my place. I’m sure you must be hungry. I could whip something up.” 

Louis smiled, “Yeah, all right then.” He stifled a yawn, “If I can keep my eyes open that long, at least.” It didn’t take long before the car was pulling into an underground garage and stopping in front of the elevator. Harry opened the car door and ushered him out of it. They made their way into the elevator and up to the penthouse suite. 

“Home, sweet home,” Harry said with a sheepish smile, unlocking the door. What waited behind him was, Louis thought, possibly the most homey place he’d ever been short of his mum’s house. Of course, his mum didn’t have freakishly expensive furniture underneath the personal touches. 

“Wow.”

“It’s not that nice,” Harry insisted. “I didn’t even hire a decorator.” 

Louis laughed. “That makes it a little more impressive, even.” He followed the other man’s lead and kicked off his trainers at the door, before wandering further into the room. “So basically, this is all you. It’s like looking inside your head. Your very cozy, grandma-core head.” 

“Yes?” 

“I like it.” Harry grinned at him in response. “Now, I do believe I was promised breakfast for my inconvenience,” Louis said playfully. 

“I think I remember saying something along those lines,” Harry teased back. Leading the way into the kitchen he gestured towards the barstools. “Take a seat if you’d like.”

Louis plopped down at the counter. “Do you need a hand with anything?” The other man shook his head no. “Wonderful, I’m terrible in the kitchen anyways.” 

Harry honked a laugh, feeling very comfortable despite the unorthodox situation. “That’s good to know.” Louis watched as he moved fluidly through the kitchen, apparently practiced in the art of omelettes. In what seemed like no time at all, a plate was set before him. He was eager to dig in when his phone rang. He hit the ignore button. His mother could wait. As he raised a fork to his mouth it rang again. Apparently she couldn’t. 

“Hi, Mum,” he said into the phone. “What’s up?” 

“Why didn’t you tell me you’re dating that handsome young singer? I just found out from the telly!”

“That’s the thing,” he said cringing. He nodded in thanks as Harry mimed that he was going to leave the room to give him some privacy. “I’m kind of not?” 

“Well, I’d hate to see what it would look like if you were.”

“No, I mean.” He groaned. “It was our first date! And I only met him yesterday morning so it isn’t like I had time to tell you yet. There wasn’t really anything to tell!” On the other end of the line she huffed good naturedly. 

“A text would have sufficed.” 

“Mum,” he whined. “I just got interrogated by Harry’s manager for a few hours this morning about my intentions and whether or not I was the one who called the paps. I could really use a break right now.” 

“All right, love. Take it easy. What would you like me to tell your sisters? They will find out one way or the other with your face splashed all over the news.” 

Louis sighed and rubbed his face. “Tell them to mind their own business.” 

“Louis,” she warned. 

“Fine. Tell them he’s really nice and I like him a lot. And maybe if things go right I’ll let them meet him.” 

“Mhm,” she said knowingly. “But it’s nothing.” He could hear her smirking over the phone. 

“I’ve got to go, Mum. I’m literally with Harry right now. Please don’t make a big deal out of this.” 

“Have fun. I love you, son.” 

“Love you too. Kiss the babies for me.” With a sigh he ended the call. 

“Soooo,” Harry drawled as he shuffled back into the kitchen. Louis shot him a warning glare. “You like me a lot?” 

Louis groaned in response. “I take it back. You’re a pain in my arse. I’m only here for the free food.” He stabbed a piece of egg forcefully as Harry laughed. 

“If it matters,” Harry said, taking a seat next to Louis. “I like you a lot too.” Louis felt like he could melt into a pile of goo he was so pleased. Instead he tried not to blush as he ate. 

  
  
  
  
  


After breakfast had been devoured and put away, Harry had insisted that Louis take a nap after the day’s stressful start. The other man had protested but as soon as his head hit the pillow he was out. In the meantime, Harry had been stress cleaning. The idea of thrusting someone like Louis into the spotlight after one rather magnificent date was really eating at his nerves. And to know he hadn’t scared him off? Well that was a whole other kind of nerves. And to top it all off, management was more than a little unhappy to have his image shaken up like that. He was in serious trouble. Footsteps coming from down the hall startled him out of his thoughts. 

“Morning, sleepyhead,” he said with a smile. Louis rubbed his eyes and smiled. 

“How long was I out?” 

“Only about an hour.” 

“I don’t remember the last time I had time for a nap,” Louis laughed. “I feel a lot better about this whole thing for it, to be honest.” Harry’s response was strained and earned a frown from the other man. “What’s wrong?” 

“It’s nothing.” He sighed and set the sponge he’d been using to scrub the counter in the sink. “Just feeling a little anxious.” Louis stepped towards him, hesitating before opening his arms. Harry sank gratefully into them, hooking his chin over the shorter man’s shoulder. Taking a deep breath, he allowed the comfort of the embrace to wash over him. Turning his head to nuzzle into Louis’ neck, he muttered, “Thank you.” A hand weaved its way into his hair, scratching softly, and he hummed in pleasure. Harry felt the tension drain from his body. 

“You’re welcome,” Louis said softly as they broke apart, his hands coming to rest on the other man’s hips. He gave them a gentle squeeze. “Looks like you were busy while I was asleep.” 

Harry groaned. “I clean when I’m stressed.”    
  
“Apparently so.” Louis smiled at him. “Come on, let’s sit you down on the couch. You need to relax.” Harry let him lead him to the living room, plopping onto the couch and bringing the other man down with him. “Easy, Harold!” Louis laughed. Harry ignored him and squirmed to get comfortable, rearranging their limbs into the perfect places for maximum comfort and cuddles. Finally settled, he allowed himself to sink into the couch and close his eyes for a moment, breathing deep. 

“I’m glad you didn’t get scared off by this morning,” he said, voice low. Louis cuddled closer into his side. 

“Honestly, considering all that bullshit, it still was one of the better dates I’ve been on in a long time.” 

Harry laughed, “The bar must be exceptionally low!” He felt more than saw Louis shrug against him. 

“You showed up, which is more than I can say for some.” 

“I can’t believe I’ve only known you for a day.” He ran his hand along Louis’ arm. “I didn’t expect to feel this comfortable around someone else so quickly.”

Louis craned his neck around to look at the other man. “It’s the same for me, love.” His eyes crinkled as he smiled and Harry swore it was the cutest thing he’d ever seen. 

  
  
  
  



	3. Chapter 3

Arriving at school the next day, Louis knew he’d be subjected to some intense scrutiny by students and colleagues alike, but he didn’t anticipate just how bad it would be. Stepping into the teacher’s lounge that morning had been more than uncomfortable. All chatter had stopped upon his presence. It wasn’t like he didn’t know what they were talking about, but everyone fell perfectly silent and stared with wide eyes as he entered the room. He went about making his tea in awkward silence as roughly ten pairs of eyes followed his movements. The bubble of the electric kettle was the only sound. As it clicked off he poured the steaming water over his tea bag and into his favorite mug. This was all getting rather annoying, he thought. “Cheers,” he muttered with a bite, as he headed out the door towards his classroom. 

Niall was waiting for him at his classroom door, a grin on his face. He fished his keys out of his pocket and unlocked it. He kept his eyes averted, avoiding eye contact. 

“Shut up, Niall.” 

“I haven’t said anything yet,” countered the blonde. 

“I can hear you thinking and I’m not in the mood,” he snapped. “All of our coworkers just turned into deaf mutes while I made myself a cuppa.” 

Niall laughed. “I reckon they are more than a little surprised is all. You were the talk of the school yesterday. Cute Mr. Tomlinson, who never shares details of his personal life, splashed all over the telly and papers! Kissing not just a celebrity, but a man! The drama of it all!” 

Louis rolled his eyes. “Come on, now. It’s the 21st century. Besides, I’ve been out for years. That is just ridiculous.” 

“Is it though? Besides me, name one other person in this school you talk to. Just one.” The other man was silent. “That’s my point.” 

“Fine. Now do you want to hear about him, or not?” Louis had tried to say it casually but came off more than a little excited. 

“Tell me EVERYTHING.” Niall threw himself into a desk, facing the front of the classroom, his chin resting in his hands like an eager schoolgirl. “Did you sleep with him yet? Was it amazing? Did he sing for you? Were you together all of yesterday too? Does he have any cute friends you can set me up with? Like a model!” 

“Oh my god, Niall. No we haven’t! I literally just met the guy. Yes we were together yesterday but nothing happened. I just got interrogated by his manager and then we hung out until they could deal with the crowd outside my fecking flat. And I am so not setting you up with a model. I’m sure they are nice girls and they don’t deserve that.” 

“You wound me, Tommo.” Louis rolled his eyes again. Something he often found himself doing in his best friend’s presence. 

“Whatever. I just,” he sighed. “I just can’t believe how much he and I connected. It was like we’d known each other for a lifetime, not, God, less than 24 hours. I feel like we really understood each other and it was just so comfortable. Like, did you know Harry is a stress-cleaner?” 

“I can’t say I did,” Niall said slowly, clearly wondering where this was going. 

“He scrubbed his entire kitchen because he felt anxious about the whole thing while I took a nap yesterday. And when I saw my first instinct was just to hold him. And as nice as kissing him was, that intimacy, being so close when he was so vulnerable, was infinitely better.” Louis sighed dreamily. 

“You’re as smitten as a kitten,” Niall said with a smirk. In a more serious tone he said, “It’s good to see you happy. Just, be careful.” 

“What does that mean?” 

“It means, keep your wits about you. And remember that you two have very different lives and responsibilities.” 

Louis took a moment to chew that over. “I think...I think I’m not too worried about that. It’s not like we’re getting married. I only met him two days ago. We will keep it casual and see what happens.” His stomach flipped, calling him out for lying to Niall. What he felt so far for the man was anything but casual, but his friend didn’t need to know that. As if on cue, his phone buzzed. Keeping a straight face, he ushered Niall out of the classroom, citing his need to get ready for class as the reason. Closing the door behind him, he pulled out his phone. 

**Harry:** Morning gorgeous 

Louis bit his lip to hold back a grin. He honestly felt like a teenager again, completely infatuated. 

**Louis:** Someones up early again. 

**Harry:** Yep. Have you seen the papers today? 

Louis shot back a quick “no” before googling Harry’s name. He was met with an astounding number of headlines centering around one tweet from late last night: “thanks for all the support, love Harry” at the end of the tweet was a rainbow flag emoji. 

**Louis:** so I guess youre out and proud now? 

**Harry:** Not officially until tomorrow afternoon. Going on Grimmy’s show to say the words out loud

**Harry:** But I’m really relieved. It’s been a long time coming

As Louis was in the middle of typing back, a third message popped in. 

**Harry:** I’d like to ask you for a favor but I don’t know how you’ll react. So can you just call me after work today? 

He instantly typed out an “of course.” Hesitating for a moment, he erased it, before ultimately typing it back again and hitting send. Shoving his phone into his pocket, he tried to put Harry out of his mind so he could prepare for class. 

  
  
  
  
  


Later that day, Harry was anxiously waiting by his phone. He had a big favor to ask of someone he barely knew, and didn’t want to make the other man uncomfortable. But the other options weren’t tenable. As he contemplated them for what felt like the hundredth time that day, his phone finally rang. He picked it up on the first ring. “Hello,” he said, trying to sound casual. 

“You would not believe the day I had,” said Louis on the other end of the line. “The stares were unreal, but I think the worst part was the students. They were damn near rabid today, mate.” 

“That’s awful,” he muttered back. “I’m sorry.” 

“I guess it wasn’t all bad. This one girl in 5th period had printed out your tweet and stuck it to her binder--which already had a picture of you on it, I may add. She walked in to class early, sat down in her seat, and thanked me. I don’t know for what, but it was rather touching.” Harry asked her name, making a mental note to send Louis to class with a token of his appreciation some time. He couldn’t do something for every fan, but this Maci girl sounded like she could use it. “Now,” Louis said, breaking Harry from his thoughts, “What was it you wanted to talk about?” 

“Hmm, yeah. Well,” he paused, taking a deep breath. “I had a meeting with my team and they want me to do a pap walk. Which normally is no big deal, but they want it to be as part of the coming out story. And they were hoping you’d do it with me? I told them that we’ve only been out once and that it isn’t like we’re official or anything, but they insisted. And of course you can say no. I mean, I’ve disrupted your life enough with this bullshit, but I’d really like if you did. Because I really don’t want the narrative to be that I’m easy and going with a bunch of guys. The whole fucking world already thinks I’m some big womanizer so it wouldn’t be hard for them to promote this image.” He sighed. 

“I’m not really sure what I’m agreeing to here, but I’d love to help you.” He couldn’t sense any hesitation in the other man’s voice and was totally surprised. 

“Oh! Okay. Yeah, I’ll walk you through what would happen. It’s like, we’d just be out in public together. But with cameras.” 

“Yeah, no problem,” Louis replied casually. “So it’s like, a date?” 

Harry chewed his lip for a moment before speaking. “Yes?” 

“Is that a question, Harold?” 

“No. It’s a date. Saturday, if you aren’t doing anything.” 

“Hmm, I don’t know if that will work. I was planning on asking this cute guy to come over and spend the day with me.” 

Harry’s face fell and he was glad Louis couldn’t see over the phone. “Oh,” he said softly. 

“I’m talking about you, you oaf.” Harry could almost hear the other man rolling his eyes. “Saturday would be perfect, I just have to get a little grading done.” 

“Great!” said Harry with a grin. “I’ll let you know when and where by tomorrow night. Oh! And if you wanted to, I’d really like for you to tune in to Grimmy’s show for my segment. It’s at four.” 

“I’ll see what I can do!” Louis said brightly. Harry was still grinning into the phone as they said their goodbyes. 

  
  
  
  


Louis had rushed home Friday afternoon, unusually anxious. Curling up onto the couch with his cell phone on the Radio 1 webpage, he shot off a quick text to Harry right at 4pm, telling him to break a leg. He was surprised to receive a response, expecting him to have his phone off already. 

**Harry:** Thanks Xx

Louis listened impatiently as the show started, a bit of talking here, a few songs there. It was really a little annoying in his opinion. Finally, after a bit of introductory chatting together, Nick Grimshaw got right to the point. 

_ “Now Harry, you’ve had some interesting headlines in the papers this week. Wanna talk about that?”  _

_ Harry chuckled, “What’s there to talk about?”  _

_ “First of all, who was the handsome gent? I’m actually a little jealous, here.”  _

_ “You would like to know wouldn’t you?”  _ Louis could just picture Harry’s coy grin and it made him want to melt inside.  _ “No, he’s a friend. A very good friend.”  _ His heart skipped a beat. 

_ “I don’t make a point of kissing my friends like that, but good for you,” Nick said with a laugh. “So,” he said, more seriously, “can we take this very friendly snog plus a certain tweet as a coming out of sorts?”  _

_ “How much more clear does it need to be, really? I didn’t think there was much mystery there to begin with.”  _

_ “Now that’s an interesting take! It certainly feels like there has always been a bit of ambiguity here. I mean, especially when we consider all your lady friends.”  _

_ Harry snorted. “They are certainly ladies, and a few are even my friends, but I don’t think I would use that connotation.”  _

_ “Now that’s interesting! Harry, we’ve got to sign off here soon. Are there any final remarks you want to make on the matter?”  _

_ “I guess I just want everyone to know that I am very, very gay.”  _

_ “Well folks, you heard it here first: Harry Styles, loud and proud!”  _

Louis heard them say farewell, but couldn’t make out the words. He was so proud of his boy for telling the world, and shot him a text saying as much. The response was instantaneous. 

**Harry** : Thank you!! It’s a relief to finally say it

**Harry:** Thanks for listening. I really appreciate it :)

**Harry:** I can’t wait to see you tomorrow

Louis grinned. He was pretty damn excited to see Harry again, even if the idea of being photographed by a bunch of randos was making him nervous. They may have only met Tuesday morning, but Louis was pretty sure he’d walk to the end of the earth if Harry asked him to. And it terrified him. 

  
  
  
  


A little later that evening, Harry text him the instructions for their date the next day. They were to meet at 11am for brunch, look pointedly away from a group of camera men, and then get in a car and drive back to Louis’ so he could do some grading while they hung out. No big deal. Right? Right. Or that’s what Louis was telling himself. He’d been getting steadily more nervous since agreeing to it. It wasn’t likely to make things easier at school to be putting his face out there like this again, but then, he also couldn’t imagine how it could get worse. Maybe they just had to get used to the idea of him being involved with a celebrity and would stop asking invasive questions. Or they could decide they didn’t care anymore, as if his sudden fame was a fad. Or maybe the questions would never stop, and eventually he would have to invite Harry to a work function which would only lead to it being awkward for everyone. What if he couldn’t invite any coworkers to their wedding because of their behaviour and they all ended up offended with him? And the only thing he had to show for the whole situation was a blue check mark on his social media! 

And like lifting the needle off a record, his downward spiral stopped. He wasn’t marrying anyone right yet, and needed to calm down. As if on cue, he received another message from Harry. 

**Harry** : Are you nervous? 

**Louis** : Not a bit. 

**Harry:** Liar

**Louis** : You cant prove that

**Harry** : Maybe not, but I have my suspicions. 

They continued chatting as Louis got ready for bed. Brushing his teeth and washing his face, squinting without contacts in to see his phone screen from where it sat on the counter. Finally flipping off his light and snuggling underneath the blankets he forced himself to say good night. As nervous as he felt, he was mostly excited about what awaited him the next day. 


	4. Chapter Four Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a few days late, sorry. Had a weird weekend.

Harry was very antsy upon waking Saturday morning. As much as he had teased Louis about being nervous for their date, he was too. He could barely believe it was all happening and so quickly. The fact that he had been allowed to break the ambiguity of his sexuality for the public, to be fully himself in the eye of his fans was extraordinary. And so far the feedback had been overwhelmingly positive! But none of that squashed the anxiety he felt about how it had all happened. Being caught like that had not remotely been the ideal way to come out. It made him nervous for his next interaction with the paparazzi. He could only hope that they would be kind or at least not terrible since Louis was with him. It wouldn’t go well for them to harass a civilian like that. 

Putting on some Fleetwood Mac to calm his thoughts, he jumped into the shower. He let the hot water roll down his tense back muscles, reminding him to make a massage appointment. He had only been in there for maybe three songs before he’d used up all the time he could washing. With a sigh he turned off the taps and stepped out of the warm shower steam onto the cold bathroom tile. He ran a towel roughly over his body before wrapping his hair into a towel turban. He noted with a smile that there was a text waiting for him. 

**Louis:** Mornin Curly. Ready to show me off to the world? ;P 

Trying to shake off his nerves, he typed back a short reply. It sounded peppier than he felt. 

**Harry:** You better believe it! 

**Louis:** Its kinda late to ask, but whats the dress code??

Harry snorted. 

**Harry:** Casual

**Louis:** Joggers casual or skinny jeans casual? 

**Harry:** Whatever makes you comfortable, Lou

**Louis:** That doesnt help me. Twat. 

That made Harry laugh out loud. His suspicions had just been confirmed: Louis was a bit of a primadonna. He was going to have so much fun with this fact in the future. 

**Harry:** I’ll see you soon, Louis Xx 

  
  
  
  
  


A ways away, Louis was cursing at his phone. He had half his clothes on the bed and couldn’t decide on what to pick. He hadn’t been purposely photographed for the world to see before and didn’t know the protocol. Casual could mean literally anything. He didn’t want to show up too casual if Harry was dressing up a bit. Or it could go the other way. Harry was wearing yoga pants and a sweater when they met. He could do the same today and Louis would look ridiculous in jeans. Eventually he settled on black skinnys with his rainbow apple logo tee, throwing on a jean jacket last minute to combat the chilly breeze. 

He ubered down to the cafe they had agreed to meet at, stepping onto the curb and noticing, to his surprise, that he was there first. He went inside, requesting a table by the window. Looking around, he noticed that there were already a group of men stationed across the street from the cafe, waiting. A rush of anxiety coursed through him at the sight. He checked the time on his phone. 10:15am. He hadn’t exactly been early, but he’d have expected the other man to say if he was going to be running late. 

As he pulled out his phone to text Harry, he saw him walk into view. As the other man approached the table, taking off his sunglasses, Louis stood. 

“I was just getting worried I got out of bed for nothing,” he said, mostly joking, as he wrapped his arms around the taller man who was shrugging in response. 

“I see you solved your clothing crisis,” Harry drawled, disentangling himself from an enthusiastic hug. 

Louis rolled his eyes, “I don’t know why I like you, you’re such an arsehole.” 

“Oh please, you think I’m adorable. Don’t bother to deny it.” 

As the other man started to speak with indignance, a flash went off outside. 

“Ignore it,” Harry sing-songed, taking a seat. “Focus on me.” 

Louis forced his eyes to his friend’s face. “That’s really distracting. I don’t know how you deal with it.” The other man shrugged, cut off before he could reply by the presence of the server. 

“What can I get you?” a younger girl asked, voice breathless. Harry turned to her and revealed the full power of his megawattage grin. Her breathing hitched for a moment. 

“I’d love a latte. But I still need a moment to look over the menu otherwise.” 

“And I’ll just take a black coffee, thanks.” The server wrote it down, but didn’t even look in Louis’ direction. Narrowing his eyes at the other man as the girl walked away, he said, “You did that on purpose.” 

“I don’t know what you mean, Lewis,” Harry said innocently. “I just ordered my coffee.” 

“That kid just had a heart attack. It’s basically attempted murder. You can’t just smile at people like that and expect them to keep breathing.” Harry honked a laugh, causing several people at the surrounding tables to look over at them. “I’m not kidding. You’ll be dragged before the court, reputation in shambles if she doesn’t make it. I’ll be an accessory! I won’t do well in prison. Have you seen my bum?” Louis was struggling to keep a straight face at this point, biting down hard on his lip to keep from laughing. 

“Stop, stop,” Harry pantted, “I can’t take it. You’re ridiculous.” He straightened in his seat as the server appeared again. 

“Are you ready to order?’ she asked, gazing dreamily at Harry. 

“Uhh,” he responded. It appeared he had forgotten to look at the menu during Louis’ tirade. “Full English would be great.” 

The server, to her credit, turned to Louis this time as he ordered. “Same for me, then.” Giving the pair a bright smile, she thanked them and left. 

Their banter continued throughout breakfast, giving the whole affair a very companionable and happy feeling despite the small crowd of press outside the building. But as it came to a close, Louis started to worry again. 

“Harry,” he said, interrupting the other man. “What’s our escape plan again?” 

“Ignore them, keep our eyes front, and get into the car,” Harry said, fiddling with the napkin dispenser. “And if you’re feeling brave,” he added with a grin, “we can hold hands.” 

“Right, that doesn’t sound too hard.” Louis sighed. “I guess I’m just ready to get it over with.” 

“Then I’ll get the check and we can head out,” Harry said with a soothing smile. Calling the server over, he asked for the bill. Before he had a chance to get his wallet out, Louis had snatched the bill from him. “Hey!” 

“My turn,” he said smugly. Harry rolled his eyes. 

“I vaguely remember agreeing to something like that, but I thought the deal was that you pick the place and then you can pay?” 

Louis shrugged in response. “Tough darts, Curly. Shoulda been quicker.” He nodded at the server as he handed her back the check with his credit card. She was back quickly with the receipt to sign. “Cheers, love.” She gave him a smile before awkwardly half-curtseying to Harry. Having gotten over being starstruck by the other man, Louis found himself chuckling at the response Harry’s mere presence caused in this girl. “Shall we?” he asked, standing from the table. 

“Let’s go.” 

Stepping onto the pavement was surreal, Louis thought. There were about a dozen men with cameras and microphones, beckoning at them. He squinted at the flashes, wishing he’d thought to put his sunnies on before leaving the restaurant. He could feel Harry’s hand on his lower back, steering him towards the large black SUV idoling on the curb. It wasn’t until they were inside it that he realised he’d been holding his breath. 

“That wasn’t so bad,” he said shakily. 

“Better than I expected, honestly,” Harry replied with a shrug as they settled into the backseat. “They were on their best behaviour, just for you, Lou.” He reached over and squeezed the man’s knee. 

Louis groaned. “I don’t know if that makes me feel better or worse.” 

  
  
  
  


The SUV took a roundabout way to get to Louis’ flat, making sure they weren’t followed, and with every turn Harry could feel himself relaxing. He rested his head against the back of the seat and closed his eyes, sighing. He felt a hand slide into his own, their fingers intertwining. Cracking one eye, he peeked over, his mouth curving upwards. “Hi.” 

“What are you thinking about, then?” Louis asked. Harry didn’t really have a good answer for him. All he could think was that he was very glad he was going through this with Louis by his side, but that seemed a little maudlin for the time being. So instead he just shrugged. “I’m thinking,” Louis said in response, “that I don’t feel like grading just yet. So what do you say we watch a movie when we get back to mine?” 

“Depends on the movie, I suppose.” The pair hadn’t discussed films and Harry was crossing his fingers that Louis wasn’t into action flicks. 

“Well, as the guest, it’s only fair you pick,” he replied. “But, if I could make a suggestion, I always love a good musical.” 

Harry chuckled, “I think I can find something we’ll both enjoy.” Just then the SUV rolled up to the front of Louis’ building. Harry hopped out, holding out his hand to the other man to help him out. Taking it daintily, Louis slid out of the back seat before leading them up the pavement. He dug his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door, leading them up the stairs to the third floor. When they finally reached his door, he paused. Harry gave him a questioning look. 

“It’s not nearly as nice as yours,” Louis said with an awkward shrug. Harry rolled his eyes and gave him a nudge. 

“It’s gotta be better than standing in the corridor all day.” 

“Fair do’s.” He swung open the door dramatically, gesturing towards the living room. “Welcome to my humble abode.”


	5. Four Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This does have a bit of adult content in it. Skip if you don't want that in your life.

“Welcome to my humble abode,” Louis said, gesturing wildly towards the living room as he flung open the door.

Harry giggled at Louis’ antics. Looking around, he thought to himself, that this was the 20something experience he was missing out on. The furniture was clearly well worn, the decorations on the walls were sparse, and the shelving Ikea. He loved every inch of it. Stepping further into the living room, he crouched in front of the media centre. Lots of PS4 games, a handful of CDs (including a suspicious amount of Imagine Dragons, something to discuss at a later date), and at the bottom a stack of DVDs. There were a handful of his own favorites there, along with a good number of musicals. He toyed with the idea of picking the Princess Bride, but changed his mind last minute. Grabbing the DVD he wanted off the shelf, he stood suddenly, hiding it behind his back. 

“Are you going to tell me what you picked?” Louis asked, taking a seat on the sofa. 

“Nope. I’m making you guess.” Harry grinned at him, watching as the other man clicked a few remote control buttons to turn on the television and DVD player. 

“All right then, have at it.” Harry slid the disc into the machine. They waited for a moment as the menu loaded when suddenly “You’re the One that I Want” blasted out of the speakers, a little louder than strictly comfortable. Harry noted with glee that Louis was grinning. “Good choice!” 

“Thanks,” he laughed. 

“Have I told you that I actually played Danny in school? It was epic.” 

Harry’s eyes went wide. “Please tell me there’s film of that. I need physical proof that happened.” 

“Me mum has it at home in Donny.” With a grin he added, “And, if you’re nice to me, maybe we can take a trip up there and watch it.” 

Harry flopped onto the couch beside him, throwing his legs into Louis’ lap and snatching the remote from his hands. “I’m always nice, especially to you.” Pressing play, the pair settled in. Harry liked the movie, it was one of his favorites, but what he liked most was how much Louis was enjoying it. He could only assume he’d seen it about a million times from the way he was reciting almost every line, singing along at the top of his lungs, and attempting to do parts of the choreography seated. It was honestly hard to keep his eyes off the adorable sight beside him. 

There was something intensely special about Louis. Of course anyone could see he was fit, and it didn’t take long to know he had a sense of humor. But that wasn’t what made him special, Harry thought to himself. It was deeper than that. It was the way he was instantly accepting of him and his career. Harry hadn’t met anyone new in years that didn’t treat him like a meal ticket. It was as if he had been reduced to his ability to make money and that no one cared about knowing him as a person. But for some reason Louis was different. He looked deeper and saw the person Harry was underneath the pop star persona. And it kind of terrified him that someone he barely knew could already see through him so easily. But at the same time, it was exhilarating. 

As the end credits rolled, Harry stopped pretending to watch Louis, and looked right at him. 

“What?” Louis asked when he noticed that he was being stared at. 

Harry shrugged. “Nothing.” With a grin he added, “You’re cute.” 

“I am pretty cute, ain’t I?” 

“And modest.” Harry scooted closer on the sofa. “And handsome.” He ran a hand up the inseam on the man’s thigh. “And sexy.” He heard Louis’ breathing hitch, a smug look creeping on to his own face. In his head he knew they hadn’t known each other long and didn’t want to ruin a potentially good thing by going too quickly, but in his heart--and other places--he couldn’t stand it and needed to be closer. And apparently so did Louis. Harry’s heart thumped loudly as the other man grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him onto his lap and into a searing kiss. Rearranging himself so he was straddling the other man, he slid his hands up Louis’ chest, feeling firm muscle underneath. Their lips fit together perfectly, as if they were made to be together. Harry gasped at the sting of teeth on his bottom lip, allowing Louis’ tongue access, moaning into the kiss as a hand squeezed his ass. His fingers scrabbled almost desperately at the button to the other man’s jeans. It was as if his brain had stopped working and all he could think was how much he wanted to touch and be touched. Finally working it open, he pulled down the zip. It was Louis’ turn to groan as Harry worked down his open trousers, revealing his straining, grey boxer briefs. Reaching out a hand, he was stopped by Louis grabbing his wrist. 

“Wait.” His brow was furrowed in concern. “Are you sure?” 

Harry reached up, brushing the fringe out of Louis’ eyes, smiled, and kissed him softly. “I’m certain.” 

Chewing on his lip, Louis replied, “It’s been a really long time since I last, ahem, you know.” 

“Do you want to stop?” 

“NO! No. I just might not last long, is all.” 

Harry chuckled. “I really don’t mind right now.” 

“Then, by all means, carry on,” Louis said with a grin. 

Harry kissed him again, more forcefully, causing him to hum in surprise. It soon turned into a hum of pleasure as Harry kissed his way down his jawline to the spot under his ear. Harry allowed his hands to wander back down the man’s body, pushing his shirt halfway up taut abs before playing with the waistband of Louis’ underwear. Louis’ own hands were attempting to rid Harry of his trousers, but they halted at the feeling of skin on skin, as Harry slipped one hand below the band. He wrapped his hand gently around the hard member, stroking softly and pulling a low whine from out of Louis’ chest. 

Louis allowed his head to drop to the back of the couch. It had been so long since he’d felt anything but his own hand, and this felt lovely. He was drinking in the feeling of it, when Harry’s hand pulled away, and he whimpered. Opening his eyes, he saw Harry undo his own trousers, which Louis had only gotten partially unbuttoned. To his surprise, the other man was not wearing anything underneath them. Taking out his own cock, he grasped them both in one hand, making Louis’ eyes roll back in his head. Harry stroked them both at once, his large hand wrapped easily around them. He felt pleasure building in his stomach, the friction too much to stand. 

“Harry,” Louis groaned. “Harry, I don’t think...I’m going to…” The other man just stroked faster, merciless. Within moments Louis was shouting as his orgasm hit him, cum spurting all over them. And with barely two more strokes, Harry was coming too, slumping down onto him, head buried in Louis’ shoulder. Both of them were breathing hard, and Louis thought he might be trembling. His concern was confirmed when Harry wrapped his arms around his neck, placing their foreheads together, murmuring. 

“You okay?” Harry asked softly, placing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. 

“I am really good,” Louis replied slowly. “Brain’s gone dead though,” he said with a chuckle. 

“I guess I’ll get a towel or something to wash up with then,” Harry laughed. 

Louis waved his hand in the direction of the hallway, “Bathroom’s that direction.” He listened as the water ran in the other room, the shaking easing up. As Harry came sauntering back into the living room, Louis groaned. 

“What’s the matter, love?” 

“I still have to grade those papers.” 

“Well, get to it, then.” 

  
  
  
  
  


It hadn’t been hard to convince Harry to spend the night. The question had barely gotten out of Louis’ mouth before the other man was agreeing, causing a warm feeling to fill his chest. He couldn’t help it. Every time he was close to Harry, or even thought about him, he could feel his face break into a goofy grin and he got warm inside. There was almost certainly a word for that, he thought to himself, before deciding that he wasn’t an idiot and couldn’t say something like that after knowing someone for less than a week. Unbenounced to him, Harry’s heart skipped a beat whenever they touched and his stomach burst into butterflies just hearing Louis’ name. So, the feeling was mutual. 

Lying in bed that night, cuddled into Harry’s side, Louis sighed. 

“What?” Harry questioned sleepily. 

He shrugged in response. “Nothing. Just happy, I guess.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah.” 

After a few moments, Harry added, “Me too,” leaning down to kiss him on top of the head. Louis hummed in contentment. He was almost asleep when Harry spoke again. “Louis?” he asked quietly. 

“Yes, Harry?” 

“Is it too early to ask you to be my boyfriend?” 

Louis laughed. “A bit. But I’d like it if you did anyways.” 

“Cool.” 

“Well?” 

“Well, good night, then.” 

Louis’ heavy eyelids flew open. “What? Harold! You can’t just--” sitting upright, he saw the other man was grinning at him and he groaned. “Cheeky, you.” 

Harry shrugged in response. “Wanna be my boyfriend, Lou?” 

“I’m not sure I do, any more,” he pouted, but couldn’t hold the frown for long with the way he was being looked at. It was with so much fondness he thought he might pass out from the attention. “Of course I do,” he said with a sigh. Harry rested a large but gentle hand on his cheek and pulled him forward. 

“Good,” he whispered against his lips, before kissing him softly. “It’s a deal then.” 

  
  



	6. Chapter Five

After spending the night together, they had shared a well deserved lie in the next morning. When Harry had woken he found himself in the little spoon position, his favorite place to be. They stayed like that, Louis asleep with an arm wrapped firmly around Harry, and Harry wide awake and listening to him breathe, for probably fifteen minutes until the need to pee was too overwhelming and Harry tried to gently wiggle out of the embrace. 

“No,” groaned Louis, his voice thick with sleep. “Stay.” Harry smiled fondly at him. 

“I’m just going to the toilet, Lou, I’ll be right back.” 

“I’ll accept that,” the other man said, loosening his grip. “But hurry back.” 

While washing his hands, Harry took a moment to contemplate his reflection. It was the same as always, but perhaps his eyes were a little brighter. And he knew exactly why: Louis. Harry couldn’t believe his luck. He had a boyfriend, his first REAL boyfriend. Not just someone to fuck in his hotel room after a show. But someone to care for and shower with affection. It was a dream come true. And the fact that his boyfriend was this angelic sprite of a man made it all the better. With a smile to his reflection, he shook his head and exited the ensuite. 

Hopping back into the warmth of the bed, Harry snuggled in close to Louis, who welcomed the embrace with open arms. “This is perfect,” he groaned into the other man’s chest. 

“Yeah, it is. Even if I wouldn’t have taken you for a little spoon with those baby giraffe limbs.” 

“Hey!” Harry shouted out in protest. “I’ll have you know that baby giraffes wish they had my legs.” 

Before he could respond, Louis’ phone beeped, indicating a new text message. Checking it, it was just an emoji (the laughing so hard you cry face) and a hyperlink from the eldest of his baby sisters, Lottie. The link connected him to an article in  _ The Sun _ with last year’s yearbook photo the first thing on the page. 

“Oh no, look at this,” he said to Harry who craned his neck to see the phone screen. 

“ _ The Sun _ ,” Harry said with venom. “Nothing good comes out of that rag. That’s where the idea of most of my so called girlfriends comes from. Well, let’s see the damage, then.” 

Louis cleared his voice and read aloud: 

Who is Harry Styles’ new man? 

Local school teacher Louis Tomlinson has been seen around town with singer/songwriter Harry Styles. Questions linger around how these two unlikely lovers met, but we have learned a little about Mr Tomlinson from friends and family. Originally from Doncaster, he is the oldest of seven children--five of which are girls! That’s a lot of sisters.One has to wonder how they feel about Styles. 

Always busy, Tomlinson, it seems, not only teaches theatre but is also a football coach. Who knew Styles liked his men so sporty? But, until recently, who knew Styles liked men at all? With such a full schedule it is a surprise to fellow teachers that he has the time to sneak around town with a pop star in the first place. Colleague, Eleanor Caldor said something to this effect. 

“I’ve worked with Louis for a few years now and had no idea he was even gay! All he talks about is school and the students. He always seems too busy to be bothered with a personal life. It’s a little odd, really.”

Ms. Caldor took the time to answer a few more questions for us. Including, what do the students think of their theatre teacher/coach? 

“They worship him. It’s like he can do no wrong in their eyes. And now, with all of this press on us, they seem to think him even cooler, instead of seeing what a nuisance it is to have cameras and microphones bothering us all the time.” 

When asked to comment, best friend and fellow teacher, Niall Horan, responded with a few choice words that we feel it best not to print as a family publication. Mr Tomlinson has yet to respond to inquiries made to him personally. 

  
  


“Oh my god,” Louis groaned as he reached the end of the article. “I can’t believe they talked to Eleanor. She’s had it out for me since I turned down a date with her three years ago. I bet she begged them to include her in it. No good journalist would go anywhere near her and her crazy eyes.” 

“But that’s just it, there are no good journalists there.” He sighed. “At least it wasn’t too bad. They didn’t seem to know much that they couldn’t find out from your Facebook profile. Which I would suggest making private immediately. Twitter and Instagram too.” 

“You don’t think it will get worse, do you Harry?” Louis bit his lip in concern. 

“It’ll get much worse.” 

Louis groaned and threw his head back onto the pillow. What had he gotten himself into? 

  
  
  


The question nagged at him the rest of the day. Just what  _ had _ he gotten himself into? This was more than just dating. It was his face in the papers, his name on the lips of tv presenters. This was major. And he didn’t think he’d really understood that when he signed on for it. After a week of knowing Harry, his name was already everywhere. It was a little terrifying. Closing his eyes, he pressed the heel of his hands into his eyes until he saw stars. Groaning he picked up the phone and dialled Harry, who had only left a few hours ago, after spending the afternoon together in his apartment. 

“Lou? What’s up?” Harry asked, answering on the first ring. 

“I’m kind of freaking out. Like. About everything.” His words were tumbling out all at once, and his breathing was shallow. 

“Louis.” Harry’s already low voice had slipped into the calmest, slowest tone possible. “I need you to take a deep breath for me so you can tell me what’s wrong.”    
  
Struggling not to hyperventilate, Louis said, “I don’t know what to do. About the press. And I didn’t expect them to be that bad or to talk to my coworkers. It’s messed up.” His breathing hitched. 

“Okay. Okay, baby. It’ll be okay. There’s things we can do that will make it better,” Harry said soothingly. Louis felt himself starting to calm down. He listened as Harry kept murmuring soft thoughts into the phone. As his breathing evened out, Harry asked him, “Louis. Do you have a history of panic attacks?” 

That stopped him in his tracks. Did he? He’d always been a little high strung, but he didn’t think he had panic attacks. Though, that did expertly explain what had just happened. “Huh, I might.” 

Harry chuckled dryly. “You might want to talk to someone about that.” 

“You’re probably right. I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be sorry. It happens. And it’s actually pretty normal to be afraid of this kind of thing. It’s out of the norm for you and I brought you into this and didn’t prepare you well for it. So I am the one who should be sorry.” He sighed. “If you’re having second thoughts, it isn’t too late to back out.” 

Louis’ brow furrowed. He switched the phone from his right hand to his left, wiping a sweaty palm on his trackies. “Back out? You mean, like, break up with you? Harry, don’t even say that.” 

“It would solve your paparazzi problem,” Harry said matter of factly. 

“It would break my heart.” 

“Oh.” 

“So,” Louis said firmly, “we’re going to take that option and throw it as far away as possible because it’s stupid.” He could almost hear the smile in the other man’s face as he emphatically agreed. 

“Right then. We will figure it out together.” 

After spending a few minutes exchanging words of encouragement and relief, the pain finally hung up. Louis closed his eyes for a moment, feeling a little silly he’d let his fear get to him like that. He needed to get a grip on it, he thought to himself. Maybe Niall could help. He decided to talk to him the next day. 

  
  
  
  
  


The next day, as Louis exited the headmaster’s office with a groan, nearly sprinting down the hallway towards Niall’s classroom. “Mate,” he panted, “You were right and I didn’t listen.” 

Niall tossed his feet off the tabletop of the desk. “Now that doesn’t get said often. Should I be concerned?” 

“Big time.” 

“Tommo?” Niall raised an eyebrow. “What happened?” 

“I think I underestimated just how famous Harry is, and how much of a circus my life would be with us together. And the papers don’t even know the half of it. Like, they don’t know how important he is to me after only a week. It’s like I’ve known him my entire life--like we were meant to be. And now the media is all over the school! Headmistress Aston just ripped me a new arsehole for exposing not only the school, but the other teachers and students to this kind of scrutiny. I am walking a fine line from now on.” 

“Whoa, whoa,” Niall shushed. Standing, he took his friend by the shoulder and led him into the nearest chair. “First of all, what? And second, you really need to slow down so I can follow what you’re saying.” 

“That’s the other problem!” Louis insisted. “I haven’t felt this stressed out since college.” A look of comprehension came over the other man’s face. He turned and closed the door to the classroom, locking it behind him. They had roughly half an hour before class and any students who were early would just have to wait outside. This was important. 

“Louis. What you’re saying is that this is driving you to anxiety already? Have you considered calling it off?” 

The man shook his head. “I don’t have it in me to. He’s too important to me, already. I told you, it feels like we’ve known each other forever.” 

“Do you love him?” Niall asked. 

“It’s too early to--” He was cut off by the blonde. 

“Bullshit. Do you love him?” 

Louis sighed and closed his eyes. “Yes.” Opening them, he watched his friend shrug.

“Then you two have to figure it out. Start by getting these panic attacks under control, and then find a way to keep the newspapers away from the school. Look, I’ve never seen you remotely this interested in someone in the years we’ve been friends. Uni through now. He must be something incredibly special for you to feel this way about him after so short a time.” 

Louis nodded. “He is. He is really special.” 

Niall smiled at him. “Then I have no doubt you’ll fucking figure it out, mate.” 

Walking back to his classroom, Louis felt lighter than he had in days. Niall was right. He loved Harry and wasn’t about to let himself get in the way of that. And Harry had said they would work on figuring out the media together. He was old hat at it by now, anyways. Louis just had to breathe and keep himself in check and it would be just fine. 

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me what you think! It's not anything like something I've tried to write before, so be gentle. (Not that I'm worried, everyone is usually nice in this fandom if they are bothering to read fanwork.) 
> 
> Find me on tumblr at louislouisohbaby and we can have a chat!
> 
> Reblog the fic post I accidentally published with the wrong account and am too lazy to fix!


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